Director Saluja employed three techniques that look visionary in hindsight:

In the annals of early 2000s Hindi cinema, where glossy romances and family dramas dominated the box office, a quiet storm brewed in 2002. That storm was titled Durga – It's Not Just a Love Story . Nearly two decades later, in 2021, the film found an unexpected second life—resurfacing on social media threads, OTT deep dives, and film forums. Why did a film that barely made a ripple at the ticket window in 2002 suddenly become a talking point in 2021?

However, Shivaji is unaware of Durga's true background: he is the only son of a notorious and powerful criminal don, Ramdas. When the hitmen attempt to eliminate Durga, it triggers a "storm of terror" as his father’s criminal network retaliates, leading to an intense clash between rival underworld factions. Production Context The film was simultaneously shot in Telugu as

While the original film is from 2002, a separate short film also titled , directed by Abhishek Roy Sanyal, gained attention at the Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) in 2021 . This 2021 film focuses on the emotional bond between a young girl and her grandfather, rather than an underworld love story.

Overall, "Durga" (2002) is a gripping drama that offers more than just a love story.

Durga: It's Not Just a Love Story (2002) pełna obsada - Filmweb

. Critics often cited its formulaic plot and over-the-top violence as major weaknesses.

: A simultaneous Hindi adaptation of the 2000 Telugu movie Soori . 📖 The Plot: Why "It's Not Just a Love Story"

J.D. Chakravarthy as Durga and Priyanka Upendra as Gayatri Rao.